Fully mobile sit-on toy



Jan. 21, 1969 w. MCMiNN BRUBAKER 3,422,974

FULLY MOBILE SIT-ON TOY Filed Jan. 20, 1967 Sheet M4 JNVENTOR.

W/u A444 M 520541653,

B Y I (fix/mew Mmw J n- 1969 w. M MINN BRUBAKER 3,422,974

I FULLY MOBILE SIT-0N TOY Filed Jan. 20, 1967 Sheet 2 of4 FIG. 2.

BY 5mm; 12141 1 ATTQe/VE Y5.

2 96 w. MOMINN BRUBAKER 3,422,974

FULLY'MOBILE sn on TOY- Sheet 4 014. f

Filed Jan. 20, 1967 FIG 5.

Z i w 7 W W/AL/IMM United States Patent 3,422,974 FULLY MOBILE SIT-0NTOY William McMinn Brubaker, RD. 2, Brockway, Pa. 15824 Filed Jan. 20,1967, Ser. No. 610,582 US. Cl. 214135 Int. Cl. A63h 17/12; B62m 1/14;E02f 3/02 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates totoy power shovels of the siton type in which all functions of the shovelare manually operable from the operators seat.

From time irnrnemorial, children have en oyed emulating adultactivities, and toys to facilitate such emulation are quite beyondnumber. Of late, so tar as toys are concerned, there is a trend towardchild participation rather than mere observation. Emulation byobservation and partial participation readily is accompanied by means ofminiature toys. The current trend calls for the child actually to occupythe drivers seat and thereby participate fully or at least as fully ascost and engineering design of the toy will permit, in the completeemulation of the activity for which the toy is designed. This is thebasic principle of the sit-on type of toy.

It is accordingly an objet of this invention to provide a toy powershovel having a seat for the operator located where the operator wouldsit on the full scale model and to have within reach of this seatmanually operable controls whereby the child while seated can operatethe toy for all of the functions of which it is capable It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide a toy power shovel as aforesaid inwhich the manual controls operate directly to perform the severalfunctions of the machine.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the improved toy;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the top shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation partially in section, taken on the line 33of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view partially in section taken on the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a detail of a crank and its holding means, several of suchcranks and holding means being used in the machine;

FIGURE 7 is a partial section of the line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of an optional boom construction; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of an optional attachment whereby the toyis converted from a power shovel to a drag scoop type of construction.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the toy has a base 10 rendered mobile byCaterpillar tracks 12 and on the mobile base or platform 10 there is anoperating platform 14 which is pivoted to the mobile platform 10. A seat"ice 16 is mounted on the platform 14 and faces a boom generallyindicated as 18, the boom being secured to the operating platform 14 bya horizontal pivot 20. A column 22 is also mounted on the operatingplatform 14 and, as will appear hereinafter, the column 22 forms asupport for a number of manually operable means for performing theseveral functions shown.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the boom 18 is made up of parallelmembers 24 which at one end engage a pivot pin 20 and at their oppositeends engage a pivot pin 26 and have a sheave 28 mounted between them androtatable on the pin 26. Each of the members 24 has attached at the endadjacent the sheave 28 an eyelet 30 for a purpose presently to bedescribed.

Somewhat more than midway their length, toward the pivot pin 26, themembers 24 are pierced by a pivot pin 32, on which is mounted betweenthe members 24 a scoop arm 34. This arm has a longitudinal slot 36through which the pin 32 passes so that scoop arm 34 may slidelongitudinally on the pin 32 and also rotate thereabout.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 4, and 5, the operating platform 14 rests onrollers 38 which are supported in brackets 40 mounted on the mobileplatform 10. Centrally between the rollers 38 there is mounted on themobile platform 10 an internally toothed ring gear 42 having a centralboss 44 penetrated by a sleeve bearing 46. A stub shaft 48 penetratesthe sleeve bearing 46 and has at its lower end a bevel gear 50. Itsupper end penetrates the operating platform 14 as does the upper end ofthe sleeve bearing 46. The bearing 46 also acts as a pivot bearing forthe operating platform 14 and has threaded connection with a guardsleeve 52 which shields an actually detachable joint 54 formed betweenthe stub shaft 48 and an operating shaft 56. The operating shaft 56passes through a supporting member 58 which is secured to the column 22.The shaft 56 terminates at its upper end in a crank 60.

Below the bevel gear 50, best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, a shaft 62penetrates the side walls of the mobile platform 10 and has keyedthereto a bevel gear 64 meshing with the bevel gear 50 and at theopposite side of stub shaft 48. There is also keyed to the shaft 62 asprocket 66.

Also journalled in the side walls of the platform 10 are axles 68 and70, each of which has at each end thereof a wheel 12. The wheels 12 ateach side of the platform 10 act as sprockets for carrying Caterpillarbelts 72. The wheels 12 on shaft 68 are keyed thereto and the shaft alsocarries a sprocket 74 connected to the sprocket 66 by a chain 76.Accordingly, upon manual rotation of the crank 60, the caterpillartreads may be moved in a forward or backward direction to move theplatform 10 and the rest of the parts mounted thereon as the operatormay desire.

Also pentrating the platform .14 is a shaft 78 having at its upper end acrank 80 and at its lower end a pinion 82 meshing with the ring gear 42.When the operator on seat 16 turns the crank 80, the pinion 82 willtravel around the interior of the ring gear 42, thereby swinging theplat form 14 around the sleeve 46 as a pivot.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the control and function of theboom 18, the scoop arm 34 and their associated parts will now bedescribed. The boom 18 is raised and lowered by means of a Windlassshaft 82 having a crank 84 formed at one end with the shaft 82 acting asa Windlass for a pair of lines 86 which are attached by S-hooks 88 tothe eyes 30 of the members 24 making up the boom 18. The shaft 82 ismounted in a pair of cars 90 projecting forwardly from the top of thecolumn 22. Naturally, it will be desirable at times to lock the boom 18in a desired position. This is true of other cranks presently to bedescribed. The locking means 3 for all of these cranks are identical,are illustrated in detail in FIGURES 6 and 7 and will be described withreference to those figures in connection with the shaft 82 and crank 84but the description in equally applicable to the other cranks.

Referring to FIGURES 6 and 7, the shaft 82 is shown adjacent the crank80 where it passes through one of the ears 90. An aperture 92 is formedin the ear 90 slightly above the shaft 82. A piece of rod stock 94 isbent to provide a lower portion 96 which is welded to the shaft 92adjacent the crank 80 and an upper portion 98 which lies slightly abovethe shaft 82 and sized to penetrate the aperture 92. When it is desiredto operate the crank 80, the crank and its shaft 82 are pulled axiallyto the right of FIGURE 6, withdrawing the rod 98 from the aperture 92.After operation of the crank 80 to the desired position of the boom, thecrank 80 and the shaft 82 are slid axially to the left of FIGURE 6 sothat rod 98 enters the aperture 92, locking the crank in that position.

As previously noted, the scoop arm 34 is both longitudinally slidableand rotatable about the pin 32 mounted in the boom 18. Referring now toFIGURES l and 2, a bucket or scoop 100 is secured at 102 to the forwardend of the scoop arm 34. A projecting arm 104 carrying a sheave 106 issecured to the arm 34 at its opposite end. Mounted in the column 22(FIGURE 3) is a shaft 108 having at one end a crank 110 equipped with aholding member 94 similar to that described with reference to FIGURES 6and 7. A Windlass 112 is secured to the shaft 108 and carries a line114. As shown in FIGURE 1, the line 114 runs from the Windlass 112 overa sheave 116 secured to the boom 18, thence over the previouslymentioned sheave 106 at the rearward end of scoop arm 34, thence overthe sheave 28 at the outer end of the boom 18, thence around a sheave118 which is rotatably mounted on an axle 120 which is supported by apair of bracket arms 122 secured to the scoop or bucket 100 from thesheave 118. The line 114 is secured at 124 to the forward end of theboom 18.

As line .114 is wound up on the Windlass 112, it performs two distinctfunctions. Through the sheave 118 the line 114 exerts a lifting effecton the bucket 100, thereby tending to rotate the arm 34 about the pivotpin 32. At the same time, the line 114 forms a force triangle betweenthe sheaves 28, 106, and 116, the resultant of which tends to slide thearm 34 via the slot 36 across the pin 32. There is thus produced a closeapproximation of the classic steam shovel effect.

The operations of dumping the scoop 100 and retracting the scoop bar 34preparatory to a new scoop action will now be described. Referring nowto FIGURE 3, the shaft .130 is mounted in the column 22 and has at oneend the crank 132 and adjacent the crank the usual holding means 94. Apair of windlasses 134 and 136 respectively carry lines 138 and 140. Asshown in FIGURE 1, the line 140 runs over a sheave 142 mounted on theboom 18 and its free end is attached to the scoop arm 34 by means of abracket 144. The line 138 passes over a sheave .146 attached to the boom18 and has its free end attached to a link 148, pivoted at 150 to thescoop arm 34. A spring 152 biases the link 148 toward the bucket 100,while a conventional, slack flexible tension member connects the link148 to the usual dump bottom 156 of the bucket 100 which has the usualpivot 158 adiacent the rear end of the bucket 100.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, a foot treadle 160 is provide on theplatform 14 adjacent the column 22. The treadle 160 is biased by aspring 162 to its upward position and at its free end is secured to abent rod 164 which terminates in an upper loop 166. The loop 166surrounds line 138. Now assume the parts to be in the position of FIGURE1 with the shaft 130 in locked position as shown in FIGURE 3. Thedepression of the pedal 160 will draw down on the member 164, the loop166 of which will jerk on the line 138, free the latch of the gate 156and dump the bucket 100. Release of the treadle 160 permits the spring164 to return it to a normal upward position, permitting the spring 152to swing the link 148 toward the bucket and thus permit the bottom gate156 to latch itself back into the position of FIGURE 1, as isconventional practice in full scale operations.

As a result of the operations described in the preceding paragraph, themachine is ready for a new scooping cycle. To accomplish this, both theshafts 108 and the shaft are freed of the holding means 94. The weightof the bucket 100 unbalances the scoop bar 34 which being unopposedeither by the sheave 118 or the sheave 106 tends both to pivot and slideabout the pin 32. In order to insure optimum retraction of the bucket toa position where the scoop bar 34 is substantially vertical, the line iswound up on its winch 136 by means of the crank 132 until the desiredposition of the bucket 100 is reached and with crank 132 and shaft 133,crank 110 is turned to wind up the line 114 and repeat the previouscycle. During the cycle, of course, as the bucket 100 extends outwardlyfrom the platform 14, the lines 138 and 140 are free to accompany itsmovement.

Referring back to FIGURE 5, it must be emphasized that shaft 56 by-axialmovement may be withdrawn from engagement with the shaft 48. The reasonfor this is that in any given position of the mobile base 10 severalscoop operations will be conducted, usually with swinging movement tothe operating platform 14 between cycles. If then it is desired toadvance the machine as a whole, the shafts 56 and 48 are reengaged andcrank 60 is turned to advance or retract the machine by means of thetracks 72.

FIGURES 8 and 9 are included chiefly to illustrate the versatility ofthis toy and the parts of FIGURES 8 and 9 serve to convert the machinefrom scoop shovel opera tions to drag line operations. In FIGURE 8, theboom is made up of longitudinal members 200 and 202. The only reason aseparate boom is required is that drag line operations require a muchlonger boom than the boom 18 which is only suitable for scoop shoveloperations. Each of the members 200 and 202 has an eye 30 preciselysimilar to the eyes formed in the members 24. At the rear end themembers 200 and 202 have apertures 204 which fit on to the pivot pin 20.At the front end these members have the same pivot pin 26 and sheave 28as is used in the boom 18. The eyes 30 connect to the lines 86 preciselyas is the case in FIGURE 1 and the main line 114 runs directly over thesheave 30 and is secured to an S-hook 206, attached to a chain or cable208 which is secured to a drag scoop 210. Above the scoop 210 the armsof the chain 208 are spaced by a rod 212. A pair of chains 214 run fromthe front end of the bucket 210 to a drawbar 216 to which the chains 214are attached by S-hooks. Line 218 runs from the drawbar 216 over apulley 220 which is also secured to the S-hook 206. The free end of theline 218 is secured to an S-hook 222 on a bracket 224 attached to theupper side walls of the scoop 210 adjacent its front or open end. Thedrawbar 216 has a forward S-hook 226 for attachment to either of thelines 138 or 140 which both are operable by means of the crank 132 shownin FIGURE 3.

While certain specific details of construction have been disclosedherein, various modifications in the structures may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention which is to be limited onlyas set forth in the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy power shovel of the mobile, sit-on type comprising: a mobilebase in contact with the ground; an operating platform mounted forrotation on said base; a boom pivoted to said platform; an operatorsseat mounted on said platform and facing said boom; a vertical column onsaid platform between said seat and said boom; a plurality of manuallyrotatable cranks mounted in said column; a connection between one ofsaid cranks and the free end of said boom for raising and lowering thesame; a fixed pivot mounted intermediate the ends of said boom; a scooparm rotatably and slidably mounted on said pivot, a scoop bucket mountedon said scoop arm; a connection running between a second of said cranksto the end of said scoop arm opposite said bucket, thence to the freeend of said boom, thence to said bucket and back to said boom; aconnection between a third of said cranks and the bucket end of saidscoop arm for drawing said bucket toward said platform, and means forlocking, at will, any of said cranks against rotation.

2. The toy of claim 1, in which said crank locking means comprises aprojection on each crank engageable and disengageable with said columnby axial movement of such crank.

3. The toy of claim 1, in which said bucket has a dumpable bottom; aconnection between said third of said cranks and said bottom for dumpingthe same, and a foot treadle adjacent said column for operating saidconnection.

4. The toy of claim 3, in which said crank locking means comprises aprojection on each crank eng-ageable and disengageable with said columnby axial movement of such crank.

5. The toy of claim 1, including a vertical axis manually rotatablecrank between said seat and said column for moving said mobile base.

6. The toy of claim 5, in which said vertical axis crank is removable atwill.

7. The toy of claim 5, including a second vertical axis manuallyoperable crank for rotating said platform on said base.

8. The toy of claim 6, including a second vertical axis manuallyoperable crank for rotating said platform on said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,330 12/1894 Potter 280249 X1,871,539 8/1932 Lotte 2l4l35 2,153,767 4/1939 McGregor 280-2502,380,626 7/1945 Zeilman et a1 214 X 2,445,105 7/1948 Cullen et al. 46403,104,015 9/1963 Goldfarb 4640 X 3,176,862 4/1965 Walters et al. 4640 XHUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

